1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ignition plug socket attached to an ignition plug mounted on an engine, and more specifically to a high tension cord clamp member attached to one ignition plug socket to clamp a plurality of high tension cords connected to ignition plugs via the other ignition plug sockets.
2. Description of Prior Art
In an internal combustion engine for automotive vehicles, a plurality of plug sockets are removably attached to an engine body to supply a high tension to each ignition plug via each ignition (high tension) cord. However, when these high tension cords are vibrated during engine running or vehicle travelling, there exist problems in that the ignition plug sockets are loosened or removed from the ignition plugs or the high tension cords are vibrated in contact with the engine body into abrasion, so that high tension leaks.
To overcome these problems, a high tension cord clamp member 1 as shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) has been proposed, in which a plurality of high tension cords 3 are arranged within a groove 2a formed in an engine head cover 2. One end of each of these high tension cords 3 is connected to an ignition plug socket 4 connected to each ignition plug (not shown). To clamp these high tension cords 3, a cord clamp member 1 is fixed to two boss portions 6 formed integral with the engine cover head 2 by means of two clamp legs 5 so that the cord clamp member 1 crosses the groove 2a. This cord clamp member 1 is formed with a plurality of cutout portions 1a for holding high tension cords 3.
Further, a similar high tension cord clamp member is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Appli. No. 61-167479, in which high tension cords are clamped by cord holding cutout portions formed in a flat projection plate formed integral with the outer circumference of the ignition plug socket.
In the first prior-art cord clamp member shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B), however, since the cord clamp member 1 is mounted on the engine head cover 2, the material of these cord clamp members must be high in heat resistance and rigidity, and therefore the material cost is high. In addition, since the cords 3 are inserted into the cord holding cutout portions 1a from above, there exist various problems in that the cord sheath is often damaged or worn away by vibration, so that the cord insulation fails; the boss portions 6 to which the clamp member 1 is fixed must be formed integral with the engine head cover 2 in die casting process, so that the manufacturing cost is high; since it is difficult to dispose plural cord clamp members within the groove 2a, the ignition cords are often loosened or not arranged in parallel to each other in order, so that the plug sockets 4 are removed from the engine cover head 2 due to vehicle vibration.
Further, in the case of the second prior-art cord clamp member, since the flat projection plate including the cord clamp cutout portions is formed integral with the plug socket, there exists another problem in that a number of plug sockets having different flat projecting plates including the different numbers and positions of cutout portions must be prepared according to the cord arrangement positions or the models of engines, thus increasing the number of parts and therefore the cost of the ignition plug sockets.